Oliver didn't bother hiding.
The moment he stepped into the open, every goblin turned its head toward the sound of his boots crushing dry leaves.
Five pairs of yellow eyes glinted in the half-light.
The lead goblin screeched, baring its teeth.
"Grahhh—!"
Oliver's response was the blur of a spear.
Shhhk!
The tip impaled the first goblin clean through the throat before the cry even finished. He wrenched it free with a twist, flicking dark blood off the blade.
The girl fell back, scrambling away in panic, clutching her torn sleeve. Oliver didn't spare her a look — his focus was on the other four charging him.
"Wind Edge!"
The runes along his weapon pulsed again.
A gust burst outward, hurling dust and leaves. Two goblins lost balance mid-charge, tumbling to the ground. Oliver stepped forward, spun, and drove his spear down—one strike through the chest, another through the skull.
The last pair hesitated, growling, unsure whether to fight or flee.
They chose wrong.
